Silent Neighbor

by Blake Pierce

  “It does seem convenient, huh? The timing of the trip, I mean.”

  “It absolutely does.”

  Rhodes called up Nolan as she had been asked as Chloe sped down the road, headed for the interstate and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport beyond.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The drive to the airport was a quick one, as only twenty-eight miles separated Evelyn Marshall’s home from the airport entrance. Along the way, Rhodes made a few calls, first to Nolan and then to airport security, instructing them to attempt to locate and potentially detain a passenger that could be arriving any minute, by the name of Evelyn Marshall.

  As Rhodes was on the phone taking care of all of this, Chloe received a call. She did not recognize the number but when on a case like this, where things suddenly seemed to be moving along quite fast, that did not matter. She answered it as she maintained a speed of eighty-five on the interstate.

  “This is Agent Fine,” she answered.

  “Agent Fine, this is Deanna Riotti with the Northern Virginia Forensics Lab. I’ve got some preliminary results for you on a hair sample that was rushed to us by Deputy Nolan out in Falls Church.”

  “Great. What do you have for me?”

  “This hair sample taken from one Rachel Dobbs does not appear to be a match to the sample taken from the crime scene of Jessica Fairchild’s murder. Let me stress…these are just preliminary findings. Nolan indicated you needed results quickly, so I wanted to give you something.”

  “Thanks,” Chloe said. “Just so I’m clear…there are still tests than need to be run, but based on initial findings, there’s no match?”

  “Correct. And about ninety percent of the time, these preliminary findings turn out to be the end result as well.”

  “Thanks for the update,” Chloe said, ending the call and returning her full attention to road ahead.

  Rhodes, having just ended a call herself, looked over to her with anticipation and a bit of excitement in her eyes. “Forensics?”

  “Yeah. The hair I got from Dobbs isn’t a match to the one found at the crime scene.”

  “Which makes Evelyn Marshall even more interesting,” Rhodes commented.

  Chloe nodded her agreement and pressed down a little harder on the gas.

  ***

  They arrived at the airport eleven minutes later, with a police escort waiting at the primary entrance. Chloe followed the flashing lights ahead of them, following them to a roundabout side entrance. There seemed to be an afternoon rush of traffic along the entrance, so the escort saved them a great deal of time.

  Chloe parked directly beside the patrol car at a small lot tucked away between the multiple gates and employee entrances not too far away from the central baggage area. The place was an absolute madhouse of motion as they joined the police officer who had served as their escort.

  “Thanks for the assist,” Chloe said as they followed him to a side door.

  “Sure thing. I got word on the way in that an air marshal detained your suspect. She did not go lightly, though. They nabbed her just as she was checking her bags. She’s currently in one of our holding rooms.”

  They entered the airport through a small employee lounge. The escort led them through the room, through two additional doors, and then into the airport. After cutting directly across the concourse, he then led them behind one of the security check-ins and down a hall marked Authorized Personnel Only.

  Having never been involved in a case that was in any way attached to an airport, this was all new to Chloe. She felt like she was treading on sacred ground, getting a peek at one of the busier buildings within the DC metro area.

  The hallway ended in a T-intersection. The wall in front of them contained five rooms, all marked with letters A through E. To the right, closer to the A door, came a shrill voice, booming and obnoxious. It was an enraged female…surely Evelyn Marshall. Sure enough, that was exactly where the escort led them.

  He knocked on the door, waited a beat, and then entered. The blaring noise of the female voice was louder now, unobstructed by the door. They entered as Evelyn Marshall finished up a statement ending with something about her “basic human rights.”

  There were four uniformed officers in the room, Two appeared to be policemen, while the others were either air marshals or airport security. Chloe saw that they had cuffed Evelyn. It made her frown, as it seemed a bit much. If Evelyn decided to make a fuss about this entire thing, she could potentially use that against them.

  “These are the agents,” the escort told the four officers in the room.

  “Agents Rhodes and Fine,” Rhodes said.

  “She’s cuffed,” Chloe pointed out. “Was that really necessary?”

  “It was,” one of the non-policemen said. She was pretty sure he was indeed a member of airport security. “She basically went crazy when we asked her to step away from the baggage desk. In her outburst, her flailing elbow struck a thirteen-year-old girl standing behind her. So yes…she’s cuffed.”

  Chloe nodded her understanding. “Can we please have the room?”

  The four authority figures nodded almost in unison. It appeared that they were more than happy to be out of Evelyn Marshall’s presence. The escort dipped out right along with them, closing the door behind him. This left Chloe and Rhodes alone with Evelyn. She looked much younger than Chloe had been expecting. But she also looked like a caged animal—ready to tear a throat out at any given moment, but frightened as well. She tossed some of her long blonde hair over her shoulder and regarded Chloe and Rhodes as if they were monkeys.

  “Good,” Evelyn said. “The FBI. Maybe you can tell me what the hell this has all been about.”

  “Mrs. Marshall, your name was bought to our attention as we were investigating a murder case in Falls Church,” Chloe said

  Evelyn levelled her eyes at her, her mouth set in a slant of annoyance. “Jessie Fairchild, I suppose?”

  “That’s right. How did you know about the murder?”

  “News travels fast. I heard about it Friday afternoon.”

  “Were you surprised to hear about it?”

  “That’s hard to answer. On the one hand, it’s terrible to think of someone in a neighborhood like that being killed. But on the other hand…no one liked her. I just wasn’t aware that someone hated her enough to kill her.”

  “Did you—”

  “I’m sorry,” Evelyn said, raising her voice to make sure there was no mistake that she was intentionally cutting Chloe off. “Have I been detained from my flight because you actually think I’m a suspect?”

  “We don’t know any such thing yet,” Chloe said. “What we do know is that you were involved in an altercation with her several days ago. And now, just a few days after her murder, you’re leaving the country.”

  “Seems cut and dry to you, then? Is that how you work? The easiest solution must be the answer.”

  Chloe was beginning to grow tired of Evelyn’s holier than thou attitude. Suddenly, the fact that she was handcuffed made her rather happy.

  “This is a murder case, Mrs. Marshall,” she said. “Believe it or not, there’s never an easy answer. “But you can make it easier for us if you choose to do so. Can you tell us where you were last Friday morning?”

  “I was actually in bed most of the morning. I wasn’t feeling well. A migraine hit me the night before and they tend to linger.”

  “Do you get them often?” Rhodes asked.

  “I do, in fact. It’s linked to my TMJ.”

  “TMJ?” Chloe asked.

  “Temporomandibular joint syndrome,” Rhodes chimed in. “I get it from time to time, too. The joints in your jaw lock up.”

  “Exactly,” Evelyn said. “And when my migraines hit, they usually last a day or two. I was in bed with that.”

  “Can anyone corroborate this?” Chloe asked.

  “My nanny can. She took my son to the park for me so I could get some rest.”

  “Would you happen to have security
cameras on your premises?” Chloe asked.

  “I do. Why do you ask?”

  “Because if we can get visual evidence that you never left your house Friday, you would be cleared.”

  To that point, Evelyn had been at least pretending to be civil. But something about that comment seemed to offend her. A hate-filled fire lit up in her eyes and she sat forward, as rigid as a set of prison bars.

  “Cleared of what? Her murder? You two are absolutely precious…”

  “I assume you won’t give us your security footage then?” Rhodes asked.

  “Hell no.”

  “That’s fine,” Chloe said. “We have enough just cause to issue a warrant for them. So we’ll get them regardless.”

  “You do that. And also know that when this is all said and done, I fully intend to sue. I’ll sue the airport for cuffing me and the FBI for sending you two to badger me about a murder you seem quite sure I committed when I have told you point-blank I was in my bed when the murder occurred.”

  “We’re not sure of anything,” Chloe said.

  “Oh, that’s obvious.”

  Chloe hated to admit it, but Evelyn had her rattled. The woman seemed so confident, so sure of herself. Maybe always having money to bail you out of every uncomfortable situation creates that sort of confidence, Chloe thought.

  As she tried to find the best direction to take the interrogation, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Danielle. Her first instinct was to answer it, but that would be unprofessional. And God only knew Evelyn Marshall was looking for any further ammunition to support her cause.

  She sent the call to voicemail and looked back to Evelyn Marshall. She could think of nowhere to go from here. It was clear she was going to be stubborn every step of the way.

  “What do you take for your migraines?” Rhodes asked her.

  Evelyn chuckled. “Trying to figure out if I know a thing or two about migraines, are you? Trying to make sure I’m not lying about them?”

  The look on Rhodes’s face made it clear that she, too, was tiring of Evelyn’s little games.

  When Chloe’s phone rang in her pocket again, she was fuming. She checked the ID, saw that it was Danielle, and nearly sent it to voicemail again.

  But then she thought of her apartment. She thought of how her father had destroyed it, how determined he had been to get that diary back. Maybe he paid Danielle a visit, too. Maybe she was calling because she was in danger.

  “One second,” Chloe said. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

  Rhodes looked at her with a bit of comical scorn. Don’t leave me with this woman alone, that look seemed to say.

  Chloe stepped out into the hallway and answered quickly as she closed the door behind her.

  “Danielle, are you okay?”

  There was a slight silence before Danielle answered. It made Chloe wonder if Danielle found that question an odd way to start a conversation.

  “Chloe. Hey…”

  “What’s going on, Danielle.”

  “I need to talk to you,” her sister said. Her voice was soft, something Chloe did not usually associate with Danielle’s voice.

  “Is it urgent?”

  “Urgent…no. But—”

  “Danielle, I’m glad you called and I want to patch things up. But this is the absolute worst time. I’m on a case in Falls Church and am right in the middle of questioning a suspect right now The timing is terrible.”

  “I’m sorry. I…I can call later.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  “No. I’m fine. I just…I can talk to you later. You just…yeah. We’ll talk later.”

  For a moment, Chloe thought she heard a slight tremor of emotion in Danielle’s voice, as if she was on the verge of crying. Before she could say anything, though, Danielle ended the call. Chloe stared at her phone for a moment, her sibling instincts scattered all over the place.

  She said she was fine, but she sure as hell didn’t sound fine.

  With a heavy feeling starting to press on her heart, Chloe had no choice but to pocket her phone. She walked back into the holding room where Evelyn Marshall continued to lash out at Rhodes. But even then, walking into that spoiled woman’s tirade, Chloe’s thoughts were stuck on Danielle.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Chloe and Rhodes got back to the Falls Church PD just after 8:30. When they got there, Chloe spotted Chief Clifton, making only his second appearance since they had come into town to take the case. He looked pissed off, a scowl spread across his face as he approached them. They hadn’t even made it three steps into the building before he stopped them. To his credit, he did not berate them or raise his voice. He did his best to remain quiet and civil. As he started, Chloe caught sight of Nolan not too far behind them eavesdropping on the conversation. He looked worried and a little amused. This relieved Chloe; apparently, he thought Clifton was all bark and no bite. He didn’t seem to worried about their current predicament.

  “I understand the need to speak with Evelyn Marshall,” he said. “But did it have to be in such a confrontational way?”

  “She made the conversation toxic,” Chloe said. “She was defensive and pissy from the moment we walked in.”

  “Well, she was handcuffed,” Clifton pointed out.

  “Not by us. Airport security did that because she was endangering those around her.”

  “I just got off the phone with the head of security over there. He says she’s talking about suing. And someone like Evelyn Marshall will do it. Even if it’s just to cause trouble and stir the shit. Anything to make people see that you just don’t fuck with her, plain and simple.”

  “Speaking of which,” Chloe said, “we need a warrant for her security tapes from the Friday morning of Jessie Fairchild’s murder.”

  “Ah, God,” Clifton said.

  “You really think she’d sue?” Rhodes asked. “Wouldn’t it make her look petty?”

  Clifton laughed. “Around here, the word petty tends to turn into pity a little too easy.” He sighed and then turned away from them. Over his shoulder, he added: “I’ll get started on getting that warrant for you.”

  It was one more deflating moment to tie off the evening—an evening that had already included having to speak to Evelyn Marshall and a strange phone call from Danielle. Chloe essentially slogged through the rest of the evening, sitting in the small conference room a while longer to go over the case files and the crime scene photos. She and Rhodes nearly decided to call Mark Fairchild to speak with him again but by then it was 9:25 and they felt there was no need to drag him through it all again at such an hour.

  They left the building at 9:45 and headed home. There wasn’t much talk between them on the way back into DC. The talk of suing everyone from Evelyn Marshall and then the passive-aggressive admonishments of Chief Clifton had taken their toll. Chloe personally didn’t feel defeated yet but she felt like a boxer who had been battered and was basically leaning on the ropes for support.

  Chloe and Rhodes went their own ways as they separated at FBI headquarters. Chloe drove home fighting the urge to call Danielle to see what she had wanted. But it was inching toward 10:30 and she didn’t want to end the day on an emotionally draining note. She figured she could call her in the morning before she and Rhodes headed back into Falls Church.

  She parked in front of her building and took the stairs up to her apartment. She felt like she might sleep well tonight, one of those sleeps that settle onto you like a cloud. She fumbled for her keys as she walked down the hallway.

  She nearly dropped them when she saw Danielle standing outside her door.

  Danielle looked at Chloe and her face crumpled. It was clear that she had been crying, but as her mouth drew into a straight line and went tight, she started again.

  “Danielle?...”

  But Danielle said nothing. Chloe met her sister at the door and wrapped her in an embrace as Danielle sobbed into her shoulder.

  ***

&nbs
p; They went into the apartment and settled down on Chloe’s couch. Danielle had already started to get control of herself, her crying tapering off to a series of little sobs. It was clear that she had already been crying for a good portion of the night; her eyes were red and her mascara had been running and wiped away.

  “Talk to me, Danielle,” Chloe said softly. “When you called, I asked if you were okay and you said you were fine.”

  “No, you asked if I was in danger. And I’m not.”

  “So what’s wrong? If I’d known there was something this bad, I would have taken the call.”

  “I know. But I felt bad. I just can’t ever get used to you having this super-important job where it’s hard to get in touch with you.”

  “Well, I’m here now. What did you need to speak to me about? What’s wrong?”

  Chloe had never seen Danielle so shaken by something. It hurt her heart in a way she had not been expecting. She was dimly aware that her apartment was still slightly wrecked from the breaking and entering—from her father, coming in and rifling through her things for the journal.

  “I made a mistake,” Danielle said. “I made a really stupid mistake and I…I don’t know if you can forgive me for it.”

  She couldn’t help the first thought that crept into her mind.

  What has she done to our father?

  But just as quickly as it came to her, the thought vanished. Sure, Danielle had something of a dark side, but not that dark. At least, Chloe didn’t think so.

  “What did you do?” Chloe asked.

  Danielle sniffed a sob back and picked up the small purse she had been carrying. Danielle rarely carried a purse, opting for a small backpack most of the time. It was the sort of small detail that made Chloe worry that something was indeed very wrong. She watched as Danielle reached into the purse and pulled out a small book—a book that was instantly familiar to Chloe.